The basis of classical liberalism

The simplest justification for classical liberalism is: 1) We are free and 2) restriction is wrong. 1. We are Free: Humans are free beings unique in their capacity to choose and control their own destiny independent of material forces, such as instinct. This makes them morally responsible for choices in ways that nothing else living or unliving is. 2. Restriction is wrong: it’s immoral for people to restrict the freedom of others. Antebellum slavery was wrong because it restricted the freedom of an entire class of people (African Americans), forcing them, against their will, to work for another (with or without recompense is irrelevant here: I can serve someone freely without recompense or work for someone freely with recompense). Notice that we can’t prove either of these propositions—they are axiomatic atomic facts that are the beginning point, rather than ending point, of political reasoning. Since most people accept these two points (since most people accept that slavery is wrong—slavery would be OK if either proposition was not correct) then the key for politics is getting people to accept the implications of this view, i.e., to keep sight of the basic facts of politics and then use this as the rational basis for political decision making. There is near universal agreement that these two facts are correct, therefore nearly everyone is philosophically a classical liberal, they just lose sight of this in moments of emotion or the distorted thinking caused by partisan tribalism. The illiberalism of our time is a failure to reconnect with self-evident fundamentals as we get caught up in social media-fueled frenzies of anger and tribalism.